Arts Grants 2026/27

Thank you for your interest in Mount Barker District Council’s Arts Grants.

The Arts Grants aim to enhance the liveability of our District by providing funding for arts projects which contribute to the economic, cultural, environmental and social fabric of our district.

The Arts Grants are available to artists, groups of artists and arts organisations active in the Mount Baker District. They are intended to support works of high artistic merit with professional artist involvement throughout the creative process and outcome of the project.

If your project is best aligned with Community and Cultural Development, where the majority of the benefit lies with community or participants, it is most probably better suited to Council's Community Grants Program. Contact Alyssa Hill, Community Grants Officer on 8393 6426 / ahill@mountbarker.sa.gov.au to discuss.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available.

Before completing this form, please read the Arts Grants guidelines.

Incomplete applications and/or applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

Please direct any queries to Alyssa Hill, Community Grants Officer on 8393 6426 / ahill@mountbarker.sa.gov.au

The Arts Grants are being offered to support professional arts projects either occurring in the district, created by resident/s of, or arts organisations active in the district.

The provision to support arts outcomes occurring outside the District is for the following two scenarios:

1. Where the arts outcome raises the profile of the District and/or the District’s arts ecology at a state or national level, and/or
2. Where the arts outcome cannot occur in the District due to a lack of availability of venues or infrastructure e.g. theatres, galleries, etc . 

This section of the application form is designed to help you, and us, understand if you are eligible for this grant. It's crucial that you complete these questions before any others to ensure you do not waste your time applying for an unsuitable grant.

If you have any questions in regards to these eligibility criteria, please contact Alyssa Hill, Community Grants Officer on 8393 6426 / ahill@mountbarker.sa.gov.au   

Before you continue with your application, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria for this program below including criteria in the program guidelines:

• The applicant/s are professional artists and/or arts organisations.

We draw on Creative Australia’s definition used in its Making Art Work study, which uses the tenets of ‘professional, practicing, and serious’ to define professional practice. This study proposes professional practice be defined by artists who satisfy one of the below criteria:

• • In the last three to five years, have had a significant artistic achievement in their art
    form (such as a work published or professionally shown or performed);
  • Have been engaged in the last five years in creating a serious and substantial body of work;
  • Have undertaken full-time study in their art form; and/or
  • Have received a grant to work in their art form from a public or private grant-giving agency.
    

• The applicant/s live in the Mount Barker District Council area or are based in the district, and/or the project is occurring in the district. 
• If the applicant is an organisation, arts and creative projects is the organisation's primary purpose.
• The applicant has an active ABN. 
• The project you are seeking funding for is for a new, or a new, extended stage in a longer project. It is not for a repeat of a show or project, core business, only commercial components of a project, or projects/ stages of projects which have already started.
• The applicant/s can complete the stage of the project they are seeking funding for, by 30 January 2028.
• The project you are seeking funding for is able to be engaged with by members of the public. 
• The applicant is only submitting one application per Arts Grants round.
• The applicant does not have any outstanding acquittals or debts with Council.  

Unfortunately, your application does not meet the Arts Grants eligibility criteria.

If you would like more information, please contact: Alyssa Hill, Community Grants Officer, on 8393 6426 / ahill@mountbarker.sa.gov.au